Thursday, July 5, 2018
Making the Most of a Day in Milan:
We were most excited about arriving in Milan as it offered one of the highlights of our trip—a chance to glimpse one of the most famous art works in the world: Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Only I knew how much effort it had taken us to get tickets. I had tried for weeks to obtain them through the museum itself—but, in the end, I was a victim of scalpers who corner all the tickets and then re-sell them through the internet for a premium. To bait in buyers, they include walking tours of Milan in the price—68 euros!--and with no choice but to take one of these, that was exactly what we had signed up for: A Walking Tour of Milan that included a Visit to the Church that holds da Vinci’s Last Supper.
However, while we were prepared for that excursion, none of us had any inkling that our day would end with another enormous surprise for which we had not bargained. For we snagged tickets to see Fidelio, Beethoven’s only opera, in none other than La Scala, the most popular and famous opera house in the world. Truly, we were fast ticking items off my Bucket List: two masterpieces in one day—da Vinci and Beethoven! The Last Supperand Fidelioat La Scala!! It was an embarrassment of riches!
Breakfast at a Local Café:
But, first things first. We needed to eat well to provide us with the energy we would need for a three and a half hour long walking tour. I always eat a substantial breakfast and I made sure I had a decaff Americano and two croissants from a café before we left—so that I would not need to worry about a meal until lunch-time.
Of course, as our rotten luck would have it, it was raining—the only rain we would see on our entire trip had to occur on the day we had booked a walking tour!!! What were the odds? Still, we decided to make the most of the day and set off attired well against the rain.
After breakfast at the café, a lady patron called a cab for us and about ten minutes later, we were at the piazza attached to the Church of Santa Maria della Grazie—the Church of our Lady of Gratitude--for it is in its refectory that Leonardo painted the scene for which he attained global fame.
As it turned out, we arrived at the church earlier than required. This gave us a chance to enter it and take in its interior. In a corner chapel, Mass was being said and both Delyse and I decided to join in eagerly. This also gave us the chance to receive Communion: how thrilled we were that we actually heard Mass and received Communion in the Church that Leonardo made so famous. Our chapel was small, constructed and decorated in the Baroque style. The portrait of Santa Maria della Grazie was placed as the main altarpiece. After Mass, we spent a few more minutes in silent prayer and then found our way back to the main square where we were supposed to meet our tour guide for the start of our tour of Milan.
A Walking Tour of Milan:
It was not long before we met our tour guide Donatella, a very sweet and chic woman with fluent English--much to my relief. Having just returned from South America where the guides speaking English were barely intelligible, I found it great to have one who did a really competent job. After she had taken roll call, she presented us with portable microphones that enabled us to hear her even when she was far away.
She explained that the first item on our agenda would be a visit to the Church to see The Last Supper and, accordingly, instructed us to place our bags in a locker to be retrieved after this portion of the tour was done.
Visiting the Refectory to see The Last Supper:
Unlike his Mona Lisain the Louvre in Paris that disappoints most viewers by its tiny size, Leonardo’s Last Supperhas just the opposite effect. Most people do not know what to expect and they are overwhelmed when they realize that an entire wall of a huge dining hall (refectory) of a monastery contains this fresco. Furthermore, because of the number of visitors who wish to see this work and the impact that their breath has upon the wall, no more than 25 visitors are permitted to enter the refectory at a time and no more than 15 minutes is allotted to them.
Once we passed by the cloister leading to the fresco, we found ourselves inside a dimly-lit, climate-controlled space. The painting dominates one wall of the hall and, of course, our eyes remained riveted to it. Donatella knew that the first thing everyone would want to do would be to take selfies with the painting—so she requested us to refrain from doing so and assured us that she would give us adequate time for such intentions. Instead she began her commentary on the painting and explained that the reason it is so striking is because it reveals the expressions of the Apostles at the very moment when Christ, who is hosting them at supper, tells them that he is aware that one of them will betray him. Going from left towards the right, she then went on to comment upon each apostle and the reaction that the announcement has on him. I found it quite fascinating as I had never looked on this painting in that light before.
Accomplished between 1495 and 1498, this fresco is notorious because it took so long to complete. Usually in a fresco, paint is applied quickly—before the freshly-applied plaster dries. To make any changes to the fresco after the plaster has dried involves actually breaking the plaster down and starting to re-plaster the wall again from scratch. No artist wants to do this—hence, they work quickly. Leonardo, on the other hand, worked at snail’s pace, oftentimes merely staring at his handiwork of the previous day before leaving and returning a whole day later—much to the annoyance of his patron, the Dominican monk, who needed the premises for the monks’ meals.
Furthermore, Leonardo was also experimenting with new materials—instead of using just oils, he worked with oil and tempura (egg white). This provided the fresco with the lovely glaze that he desired, but being biodegradable, it also deteriorates very quickly. By the time the three years had passed by which time he finished the work, it had already begun to deteriorate. Today, it is seen in a very advanced state of decomposition. Many scholarly efforts have been made to preserve it and, to a large extent, they have been successful. But there is no guessing how long it will last and for how long it will remain open to the public. I considered ourselves very fortunate indeed to have been able to see this amazing work. Apart from Christ and the Apostles themselves, I was very struck by the ceiling, the windows that flank the room on each side in the painting and the blue skies outside the window.
When Donatella finished her commentary, we did have time to take our own pictures and then we trooped out of the room to make way for the next group of visitors. Outside in the cloister of the church, she told us a little about the history of the church and its Dominican roots.
Our Walking Tour Continues—Piazza Cadorna:
It was still drizzling when we piled out of the church and made our way alongside its exterior walls to take note of the iconographic panels that decorate its sides. Then, we were crossing through various streets and arriving at Piazza Cadorna, a busy intersection and site of the station through which passengers can travel to places like the Lakes as well as Malpensa airport. This intersection is interesting because you get your first glimpse of Sforza Castle—the hulking old stone-walled structure that dominates the city. Plus, it has its modern sculpture. In the center of the traffic island is a modernist sculpture by Claes Oldenberg and Joosje van Bruggen called Needle, Thread and Knot. It is made of stainless steel and plastics and is said to represent Milan’s role in the world fashion industry. Painted in red, yellow and green, it features thread being pulled through the eye of a needle with a knot on the other side of the street anchoring the attempt.
Inside Sforza Castle:
We headed next towards Sforza Castle that is named after Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan in the 14thcentury. It was added on extensively until the 18thcentury and, today, houses significant art collections including The Last Pieta, an unfinished sculptural work by Michelangelo. This Pieta by Michelangelo, known as the Rondanini, is very different from the other world-famous one that is located in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome in which a seated Mary cradles her beloved son in her lap after his deposition from the cross. This one is a standing Pieta in which Mary helps to hold up her dead son who is slipping from her arms.
Apart from Michelangelo, many big-name artists have contributed their talents to the interior of the castle such as Leonardo and Bramante. And, it is, of course, possible to take tours of the inside. But, on this walking tour, we did not have much time except to assess its bulk from the outside, to take note of its ramparts, its watch towers, the brick work and complex decoration of its façade and its wide moat. Over the centuries, this massive complex of buildings has served as a fortification for the city, as a Ducal Palace (hence, its wealth of striking interior decoration, in keeping with the Ducal Palaces in Florence) and as a monument of tourist interest. One of the main towers encases a clock that gives it distinction. There is also a great deal of sculpture in bas-reliefof historical dignitaries that overlook the main squares of the city including one with a pretty modern fountain.
For our tour group, Sforza Castle provided a place to take a break and have a welcome coffee. Thankfully, the rain had subsided by this time and we were able to walk without hoods or umbrellas. We sat in the cozy confines of the coffee shop and sipped coffee and a pastry before we were back on our feet again in 20 minutes, trekking through the city to move on to its next important sight—The Duomo.
The Duomo of Milan:
The Duomo of Milan is a visual stunner. Unlike its slimmer sisters in Florence and Sienna, this Duomo spreads itself out wider. And unlike its counterparts elsewhere, it has a plethora of what look like spikes rising up from the roof to give it a very delicate appearance. Plus it is entirely encased in white marble—which, in moonlight, makes it glow.
Our first view of this church left us stopping in our tracks. On closer inspection, we found it to be studded with sculptures of saints standing cheek by jowl with figures from classical mythology. In fact, in the figure of a woman draped in Grecian garments and bearing a torch Bartholdi is said to have found inspiration for his creation of the Statue of Liberty! I found this very interesting. The Cathedral has seen much cleaning and refurbishing over a long period of time and most of the façade now glows brilliantly. It is dedicated to Our Lady of the Nativity and there is one tall spire that is topped with a statue of the Virgin surrounded by a halo in glittering metal. Construction began in 1386 but like all European cathedrals of this heft, it took many centuries to complete—through which time the Gothic elements that dominated gave way to the grandeur of the Baroque.
The Vittorio Emmanuel Galleria:
But we did not linger long outside the Duomo as the walking tour continued. This time we made our way towards the side of the square to enter the vast space known as the Galleria that is named for Vittorio Emmanuelle II, one of Italy’s greatest heroes. It reminded me a little bit of the posh shopping arcades in Piccadilly in London known as the Royal Arcade, the Burlington Arcade, etc. These are long passages, lined on both sides by fancy-schmancy shops and one-of-a-kind boutiques. The passages usually have glass ceilings to let in light.
Well, this one was similar but constructed on a far grander scale in terms of dimensions and interior decoration. It is really four spokes of a wheel--each spoke of which contains designer showrooms that open on to a circular space just below a dome. The floor of this central portion is covered with marble mosaics one of which is especially popular. It features a bull with prominent testicles. It is customary to place your heel on them and spin around as many times as you can for luck! Needless to say, there was a queue of people waiting to participate with just as many looking on or taking their pictures. These, I suppose, are some of the quaint local customs in which foreigners feel compelled to participate—or maybe it is just a manifestation of the foolishness of succumbing to the mob mentality!
Anyhoo…we walked along the beautiful shopping space from which people were emerging with bags carrying prestigious labels—you know the kind…Gucci, Prada, Ferragamo, etc. All the Italian designers were featured here under one stupendous, glorious, impressive glass roof. It was quite a fascinating space.
And on to La Scala:
Our walking tour continued as Donatella led us outside the Galleria into a charming town square that was dominated by a sculpture of Leonardo da Vinci—Milan is truly his city in the same way that Florence honors Michelangelo and Rome honors Bernini. Donatella circumnavigated the sculpture to point out the significance of the other figures carved around the base—all of them played a major role in Leonardo’s life as patrons or mentors. This truly Renaissance Man who functioned as a draftsman, engineer, scientist, artist, painter, landscape designer and gardener, has left his mark indelibly on the city of Milan.
And what’s more, this square sits right in the heart of the world’s most famous opera house—La Scala which opened to the public at the end of the 1700s. Some of Italy’s best-known composers such as Verdi, Rossini and Puccini had their operas debuted on this stage and every one of the world’s best-known opera singers vies for a chance to perform here. In fact, I was so keen on seeing a performance at La Scala that I had spent weeks scouring the Box Office on the internet and had drawn a blank—for the same reason that it was impossible to get tickets to see The Last Supperdirectly from the museum that sells them—scalpers! They buy huge blocks of the opera house and then sub-contract agencies to sell them at a premium price. Hence, the cheapest 20 euro-tickets were selling for 98 euros on the internet when I looked for them. The night we were in Milan, there was to be a performance of Beethoven’s Fidelio, the only opera he ever wrote. It is quite rarely seen in performance (which made tickets to see it even more coveted).
As Donatella took us towards La Scala, we also discovered that her tour did not take us inside—it merely showed us the exterior which, by the way, was far from impressive. The opera houses in other parts of Europe (Paris, Budapest, Vienna, for instance) are far more massive, ornate and attractive. We took the exterior in, however, before bidding goodbye to Donatella who took her leave of us after what had been a very comprehensive walking tour of the city.
Snagging Tickets for Fidelio:
It was while we were hanging about La Scala to take in more of its rarified ambience that we were approached by a man who called himself Paolo. He offered us tickets for that night’s performance of Fideliofor 50 euros each—these tickets were usually sold for 20 euros (so we would be paying a premium of 30 euros). My first reaction was to jump on them immediately. After all, I’d found nothing on the internet for under 98 euros—double the price he was asking. However, I decided to exert a bit more caution. Were his tickets authentic? I was not about to part with any money until I had established that they were genuine. I, therefore, asked him if he would go with me to the Box Office so that the clerk there could authenticate them—which he did without any hesitation. When this was confirmed, I told my companions that I intended to attend—and that I would be quite happy to go alone if need be (as I could always take a taxi back to our hotel when the opera ended). I did not want to have my friends confronted with the sudden and expected expense of 50 euros if they did not feel comfortable about splurging on the tickets.
To my astonishment, all my friends decided to go for it—it was too great an opportunity to miss. To see Beethoven’s Fidelioat La Scala, as my friend Delyse put it, would give us bragging rights! Hence, we took the decision to purchase the tickets. And for the rest of the day, I had a huge smile on my face as I simply could not believe our good fortune in having snagged tickets to see an opera in this prestigious space.
Off to see Milan’s Design Side:
With that matter all sorted, we could turn to another item on Nafisa’s agenda (aside from going to the beach in Ravenna)—visiting the interior designer showrooms of the city as Milan is the interior design Mecca of the world and Nafisa is a top-notch interior design, trained in Singapore and practicing in Bombay. Hence, thanks to her, I ventured into showrooms that would not otherwise have been on my To-Do List. We went in and out of places like Kartell where we saw items such as the Ghost Chair designed by none other than Phillip Stark and from then on to a number of showrooms that were all in the same row—ending with Richard Ginori of whose porcelain pieces I have always been a huge fan.
A Most Memorable Lunch:
Our forays into Milan’s design work had whetted our appetites and we were ready to tuck into lunch. We strayed into a quaint cobbled district that had many pavement-eateries spread around it and found ourselves attracted to a particular one that offered large pizzas and foccacias that we felt we could sample.
It turned out, however, to be a very unpleasant experience as we were saddled by a particular surly waiter who did not have the time of day for us. Long story short, although the meal was good, we had a bit of a tiff with him that inadvertently involved a kind woman at the neighboring table who intervened to bat on our behalf. Overall, we left the restaurant with a very bad taste in our mouths!
Entering the Duomo for a Quick Visit:
On our way back towards the Duomo Square, we decided to see if we would be permitted to make a prayerful (not a tourist) visit. To go in as tourists would involve buying tickets and we did not want to spend too much time inside. Hence, we found a side entrance that was manned heavily by security guards that permitted us brief entry into the cathedral. I have never found my possessions more thoroughly frisked than at this point. It was truly startling.
And what a cathedral it was! I mean all Gothic cathedrals are imposing and all of them leave you dwarfed by their dimensions and their scale. But this one simply overwhelmed me. Its columns were so thick and so high and unlike any other cathedral I have seen before, were topped by sculptural figures that encircled them at the top. The Cathedral is also the final resting place of the saint known as Charles Borromeo and his tomb is very well-visited. Once again, we noticed that stark Gothic elements had made way for Baroque ones—the extravagance of the 18thcentury was played out in much ornamentation. We also noticed that the cleaning of the interior of the cathedral is being undertaken in stages—at a cost of millions of dollars. The difference between those walls and columns that have been cleaned and those that still wear the effects of centuries of dirt, dust, candle smoke and incense soot is quite remarkable indeed.
After about ten prayerful minutes, we were out in the bright sunshine feeling the full effects of a hot summer’s day in Italy.
Back Home for Naps and a Rest:
Given that we had a late-evening show to attend and had been quite drained off our feet by the walking tour of the morning, the consensus was that we should return to our hotel for afternoon naps and a rest before setting off again—all dolled up—for our evening at La Scala.
Out for an Evening at the Opera:
All dressed up and ready for our evening at La Scala, we hailed a cab to get us there. Because we were early, we decided to get a bite to eat and because our tour guide of the morning had pointed us to a narrow lane that sold an interesting item called a panzerotti that was a cross between a calzone and a pizza in a pizzeria called Luini’s, that was where we headed. It was not long before we were clutching these hearty pockets of dough filled with a tomato-cheese mixture that was pretty tasty. I washed it down with a bottle of mineral water. We perched on a bench just by the Leonardo Fountain and people-watched: there was so much to see. Those heading into La Scala were dressed to the nines in Italian up-market designer style. I loved it! Seeing their dresses, shoes, bags and jewelry was such a treat.
Not much later, we decided to get into the opera house and, with great excitement, we climbed the stairs that led us to the tier where our seats were located. We were presented with a program that also served as a fan—because with hot air rising, it got uncomfortable up there. The seats were in bright red velvet with touches of glamorous gold, great sparkling crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling and lit up the place. In front of us were the mini personal screens that provided an English translation of the lyrics, for, as it turned out, Beethoven wrote Fidelioin German. Delyse and I sat down together in our seats and just a couple of seats away in the same row, were Nafisa and Shahida. It was a first time for the two of them in an opera house—so they were really excited about the whole experience.
Ushers dressed smartly in black suits sporting medallions around their necks led us to our seats. We were seated next to two beautiful young Oxonians, both from Queens’ College—one of them was studying Musicology and hoped to become an opera singer herself. She was as excited to be there as we were. Her friend was reading History at the same college. It was a real pleasure speaking to them and telling them about my own Oxford connections. Meanwhile, Delyse entered into conversation with the man at the side of her who was seeing the opera for the second time as he said that the end was so stirring that he simply had to come back. We knew we had a treat in store.
And then the music began with a fabulous overture and we lost ourselves in the grand Baroque music of Beethoven. I was pleased that I had my opera glasses with me for we were rather high up. The singing was good, especially the soprano (Jacquelyn Wagner) who played the main role of Fidelio (a double role that partly involved disguise as a man). In the woman playing a man, there were Shakespearean overtones to the plot. During the intermission, Delyse and I decided to stretch our legs a bit and walked around the periphery of the gallery and took pictures of the poster of the opera so that we could remember our experience for all time.
At the end of the show, which was predictably stirring, we trooped down with all the other patrons and took in the splendor of the first floor where marble portraits of great composers and conductors such as Verdi and Toscanini were on display. Many other first-time opera-goers were also taking pictures and I must say that the staff were very indulgent towards us.
So how was our evening at La Scala? Well, suffice it to say that it was one of the highlights of our trip—like bagging tickets to see an opera in the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden in London or at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Of course, we were excited at the very prospect and the performance, while it was certainly not the best opera I have seen, was certainly worth the 50 euros we paid for our tickets. I would have preferred to see more interesting sets, more lavish costumes and overall better singing. But some of the performers were quite wonderful indeed.
Milan By Night:
Of course, we simply had to spend some time enjoying Milan at night—most nights we were simply too exhausted to step out for an after-dinner walk. But, on this night, we were ready to step out and enjoy the monuments while they were illuminated. Besides, La Scala was so well located that just a few feet away lay the Galleria. We walked through it, this time enjoying its late-evening ambience. A little later, we emerged into Duomo Square and were completely struck by the sight of the Duomo in the moonlight—it simply shone in the soft light. Once again, we could not resist taking pictures of the entire place.
Then, because there was a gelateria across the road, we stepped in to get some. And because we had not yet enjoyed a tram ride, we found our way to the tram stop with the idea of taking one of the antiquated No. 1 trams that runs through the historical part of Milan. Only we discovered that we could not buy our tickets on the tram and would have had to do so from a tabacchi. Well, we were too late for we had already boarded one. We could only hope that we would not be caught by an inspector for playing truant.
One of the passengers then told us where to get off when we told him that we would like to go near Milan’s main train station. We got off and then, using our map, found our way back to our hotel. It was a beautiful night, the moon was out, few people lingered on the road, the great hulking mass of Milan train station stared down at us as we slowly walked through near-silent streets and found our way to our hotel.
It had been one of the most eventful and exciting day of our travels and we were riding on a huge high as we made our way to our rooms to bed down for the night. In the morning, we would be heading off to Lake Como and we simply could not wait…
Until tomorrow, arrivederci…
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